Last Updated: May 2016
Need raccoon removal tips for raccoon in your attic, backyard, garage or under your deck? Once a raccoon is in your home it can be difficult to get them out. We recommend calling a wildlife removal professional but if you’re looking for some DIY alternatives, here are some tips that may help.
3 tips if a raccoon is in your backyard
- Getting rid of the main attractions is the first step. Food is usually primary reason for the visit, so keep the yard food free. If you have a BBQ, make sure to clean up all the remaining food in and around your BBQ. Bird feeders and pet food also attract raccoons. It is advised to feed your pets indoors and to not overfill the bird feeders.
- Keep the backyard trash free. Raccoon are attracted to your bins, so only put them out when it is garbage day otherwise keep them securely closed with a bungee cord. Soon the Toronto City will have the new bins in place which are wildlife proofed.
- A sheet of aluminum around the base of the tree can help keep the raccoon and other wildlife from climbing up. Trimming branches back from walls and your home can also restrict their access.
3 tips if a raccoon is in your attic
- Prevention is the best defense! By wildlife proofing your home you will prevent the animals from entering in the first place and avoid the necessary stress and cost of raccoon removal.
- Top raccoon removal tip to remove a raccoon from your attic is to find all the entry holes. Once located, block all the holes apart from one and leave one open so the raccoon can exit from there. Ensure there are no babies in the attic, if there are, call a professional and leave the attic. Mother raccoons are very protective and the last place you want to be is in a confined space with a wild animal protecting her young.
- If you know that you are dealing solely with adults, you can start using humane techniques to get them to leave on their own. Use lights and sounds to help encourage them to leave. Placing spotlights throughout the attic is a good solution to keep then from hiding in the dark. Use the radio as a constant noise. The animal will not like it and should leave. Bright lights, loud music, and wire mesh are the way to go
Do not seal the final entry hole until you are 100% sure the animals have left
Raccoon is in your house, garage, on the roof or under the deck
- The raccoon is living under the deck or shed because it’s a dark, quiet and safe. So use the light and sound technique to make it less comfortable.
A lot of people advise old wives tales solutions and from our years experience none of them work as well as calling for professional services. Raccoon repellents, high frequency sound waves, other animals urine (coyote or fox), Scarecrows, water sprinklers, there are lots. Usually, these methods are effective temporarily until raccoon lose their fear.
Raccoons are very wise and adapt well to urban lifestyle. The tips mentioned in this post are merely suggestions and there is no guaranteed they will work. For an effective wildlife removal or wildlife prevention service we recommend to call a professional like SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated. SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated will help your detect, remove and prevent wildlife. We do not advise you to try live trapping, as this requires licensing, requires experiences and should only be done by a professional. You don’t want to accidentally trap the neighbors cat or worse their toddler. Also there are strict laws of the sizes of the traps and the animals have to be relocated. If you are going to try this yourself please read the Ministry of Natural Resources Laws. It’s of the utmost importance to make sure the safety and welfare of the animal is first and foremost in any animal removal process. Visit Raccoon Removal page for more information.
For professional raccoon removal call SOS Wildlife Control Incorporated at (647) 994-9453
